 Dallas Morning News September 21, 1941 RESERVOIR ENGINEERS SEEK GRAVE LOCATIONS Denison, Texas, Sept. 20 - Denison district United States Army engineers are appealing for information leading to the identity of persons buried in the Denison Dam reservoir area as preliminary work continues on locating graves. Engineers are interested in ascertaining wishes of relatives of persons buried there and obtaining requests signed for removal or non-removal of bodies. Although no removals will be made until next year, a great volume of preliminary work remains to be done before final arrangements can be made. More than 2,000 graves already have been located and only 50 per cent are marked. It is hoped that nearest relatives of persons buried in unmarked graves will help identify them by writing the District Enginer, United States Engineer Office, Denison. Dallas Morning News February 1942 DAM ENGINEERS TO MOVE 2,500 GRAVES IN AREA Denison, Texas, Feb. 22 - After months of research, letter writing and personal contacts, Denison District United States Army Engineers are ready to undertake the most unusual and remified phase of the $50,000,000 Denison Dam project - the relocation of between 2,400 and 2,500 graves that must be moved to higher grounds. It is probably that bids will be called within the next few weeks for this project and the engineers hope to have the work completed before next January 1. First removals will be from lower elevations that will be subject to inundation when the river is closed by the coffer dam in July. The plan provides for establishment of 18 new cemeteries near the reservoir. Some of these will be consolidated with existing cemeteries and others will be new burial grounds. The engineers are continuing their meticulous efforts to contact the nearest of kin of each person buried in the area. This task attains herculean proportions when one considers the many unmarked and long-forgotten graves in isolated areas. The engineers estimate that approximately 35 per cent of the relatives have been contacted nad permission obtained for relocation of the graves. A few have requested that graves of their kin be left in the basin and covered by the lake. The engineers plan to comply with these requests if the law allows. There are 32 burial places in the area, ranging from a single grave to fairly large cemeteries. Only about 6 are on the Texas side. Plans are being considered for the removal of all Indian graves to a special cemetery near Tishomingo. Dallas Morning News July 12,1942 DAM BUILDERS TO RELOCATE 2,499 GRAVES Strict Rules Issued in $41,000 Contract by U.S. Engineers Special to The News Denison, Texas, July 11 - One of the most unusual phases of the Denison Dam will get under way within a few days - relocation of 2,499 graves from the area of the basin to be inundated. Denison District Army Engineers have approved a contract to Pal Noe of Denison and L.S. Ogletree of Sherman. The two men submitted a joint bid of $41,007.56 for removal of the bodies from the 42 cemeteries to 10 government burial grounds. The new cemeteries which have been built and are to be maintained by the government are located near Pottsboro, Preston Bend and Gordonville, in Texas, and Woodville, Aylesworth, Tishomingo, Platter and Willis, in Oklahoma. Strict regulations cover removal of the bodies. "In no case," says the specifications made a part of the contract, "shall the reinterment of the remains found in any grave be incompleted and the old or new grave remain unfilled after sundown of the day on which the remains are uncovered. "The contractor shall maintain such policing as may be necessary to keep unauthorized persons not less than 100 feet from the scene of the removal and reinterment operations." New boxes will be provided for each grave. Each grave opened must be disinfected and refilled after removal of the body. Not more than 4 bodies can be transported to new graves at one time, and the vehicle must be covered. The contractors have 180 days inw hich to complete the project. Dallas Morning News July 23, 1942 FIRST GRAVE REMOVED FROM DAM RESERVOIR Denison, Texas, July 22 - The first of 2,499 graves in the $50,000,000 Denison Dam reservoir basin was removed Wednesday. Graves in the immediate vicinity of the dam will be removed first. The beginning of the cofferdam this week will overflow a number of graves near the project. Pal Noe of Denison and L.S. Ogletree of Sherman contracted to move the graves for $41,007. The 2,499 graves are located in 40 cemeteries. They will be relocated in 10 government cemeteries, all located along the reservoir edge. Dallas Morning News November 29, 1942 GRAVES RELOCATED Denison, Texas, November 28 - Of the 2,499 graves originally in the inundated area of the Denison Dam, all but 800 have been relocated, according to Denison District Army Engineers. New government cemeteries have been completed, except for beautification, and bids have been opened for construction of 2 others in Oklahoma at Willis and Powell. The remainder of the graves must be relocated by January 1.  Government Cemeteries History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |